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The word “method” implies a scientific approach, which, in relation to the e-learning industry, has not always been fair so far. The matter is not so much in the youth of the sphere, but in its constant evolution and the emergence of new forms. Therefore, for the description of the approaches in e-learning, it is better to use the usual words as “type”, “variety”, or the word from the sphere of art – “genre”.

Genres, which are just methods of e-learning, help to describe the variety of e-learning materials using understandable words.

Overview of e-learning methods – what genre to choose?

The methods divide e-learning into groups by a primary way of supplying/perception of the information material. Each type may also include other elements, just like in movies: action films contain elements of comedy, thriller and horror. We distinguish the following types of e-learning:

1) Textual (“to read”). They are historically the first and up to the present day the most common. They are books, which differ from their paper relatives by comfort of navigation, interactivity and ability to be updated without republishing. They can be:

• Completely textual – the text is split into paragraphs and has hypertext navigation. It is better never to use such type;

• Illustrated – also known as “text + image”. Depending on how the “pictures” are processed they can be “a little bit better than textual” (which is still poor) up to textual courses with diagrams, illustrations, comics and interactive inserts, the most common today;

• Wrapper for the video – if each slide in a textual course contains a video with test tasks after it, it is considered the wrapper, not a textual course, and should be evaluated according to video standards.

2) Video (“to watch”). The courses in simple forms are easy to make (just to videotape a presentation given by an expert), so the method is popular in e-learning. Complex, more elaborated forms prevail in courses on personnel management, as well as in advertising, image-building and ideologically directed projects. They include, as follows:

· Video lectures – despite the simplicity of the format, they contain illustrations and diagrams to support the speech of the lecturer;

· Video of augmented reality which is similar to a lecture, but more saturated and “polished”. The presenter, against a green screen, works for a viewer (not the audience), and the script includes the interaction of the real world and computer graphics;

· Educational video contains training scenes involving actors. The script resembles a short film, there arise some issues related to the production, such as facilities for filming, props, makeup, transportation, crew catering. As a rule, these large-scale projects refer to courses on interpersonal disciplines (negotiations, mentoring, work with clients, etc.).

3) Games and simulations (“to do”). This genre is also very diverse. However, one thing in the method is common – that is “placing into circumstances” (realistic or fictional) and stating the problem, that must be solved according to the situational rules. This genre includes the following:

• Software operation simulator, which is the simplest simulator that shows how to operate the program. They are very popular for training the personnel in operation of corporate databases or specific company software;

• Process modeling is complex business models, packaged in online form. They can have game graphics or “technical” form of numbers and charts. Their task is to check the understanding of some process using a definite example with specified parameters;

• Involving games are the so-called relatives of entertaining games. Involving games use the elements of competition to arouse the students’ active interest to understand the game’s plot or mechanics and through this interest to reinforce the required knowledge. Such games are common in “ideological” and courses on processes.

Thus, there are numerous e-learning methods to solve any problems. In case the learning task can be solved by the combination of several methods, you can safely use all the genres, because such combination lacks the technical constraints.

There is also the fourth possible genre, which is very rarely used in corporate training:

4) Audio courses (“to listen”). Audio courses are very specific. Technically, it is a dictated educational text of good quality and in an easy to listen form. Such materials can be useful, but initially they are intended for using outside the workplace (on the way somewhere or at home). Audio courses stand separately from the traditional system of corporate training via LMS’s, as there is a risk of materials leakage, due to which companies do not demand them.

The advantages and disadvantages of different methods of e-learning

There are no fundamental flaws in the genres, as the success of any learning material depends on the quality of realization and the audiences. Different materials may be more or less suitable for one or another genre, for example, a video course on working with clients will be better than any instructional text. At the same time, the business process is better shown in the diagrams than when described with words. So when choosing a method, better consider the possible specificity.

Choosing a wrong format is an unpleasant, but not a critical situation: well-prepared material in any format will be useful to listeners and will fulfil the objectives of learning. More harmful is the reverse situation when boring, low-quality training course in any format does not teach the audience but gives them a bad impression about the company training system.

An education portal is a website specially designed to provide a range of educational services. It is a comprehensive place to find a number of educated related things. Portals are multi-functional websites which include personalized content, data submission and retrieval tools and links related to educational systems or services.

The key element in an education portal is to provide personalized and user-specific content to its users. The content manager is responsible to review and publish the content which is accurate, relevant and easily available. The users can refer to such portals where they can find comprehensive information about the schools, course, admissions and programs. They can find a lot of general information related to education on these portals. Students can register for one such portal and they are provided with a username and password to get complete access to the website where personalized content is available. You can find different education portals for different states where you can find all education related content concerning that particular state.

Students and teachers can benefit from these portals as both learning and teaching are assisted through available educational content. Parents also get access to information related to educational activities, school contact information, schedules and curriculum. They also have the advantage of communicating with people within the local education community. Education portals provide maximum access to resources and information related to improving existing teaching, learning and research practices in education. They act as a bridge students, teachers, parents and administrator to improve interaction and communication to facilitate collaborative work and research.

The field of education needs a lot of reforms and education portals have helped a lot by providing people with accurate and relevant information. Creating and maintaining such a portal is a new technological development and has led to the creation of new jobs and career paths. To start a portal you need the knowledge of computer system and content management. A dedicated web server is required to support public and private sections. There is a mechanism to manage request for user identification and password and also the ability to remind users of their passwords and allow them to reset their passwords.

Education portals are very beneficial for students. It saves them from the trouble of calling different institutions or schools for information. They can easily find all the information on any of these portals. You can find a lot of education portals where you can find all relevant information.

USA is an attractive study destination for acquiring higher education and offers a mind boggling range of USA universities with highly sophisticated and enlightening educational environments.

As the number one destination for international students, the USA colleges and USA universities offers most attractive opportunities and choices for further education. USA Institutes offer undergraduate, post graduate and doctorate degrees. One can specialize in any desired area of focus. The USA education system has variety of academic and social environments which allow the student to build up in all aspects. USA is often termed as land of opportunity, hope and diversity.

The United States has an outstanding higher education system. The USA education system is flexible in terms of choice of courses within an American college or university. International students from all over the world choose to study in the USA because an American education is the best preparation for their future. It becomes all the more within your means with financial aid, scholarships and assistantships on hand. At the same time students are allowed to work during their course which helps them to earn and learn.

USA Universities require 15 or 16 years of education, depending on which courses you are interested in and in which USA University you are applying for. US Universities and colleges offer the widest range of degrees which are globally recognized. The UG courses in USA are quite flexible and have vast number of options to choose from and it is generally for 4 years whereas the PG courses in USA are usually for 2 years. The postgraduate and masters programs in USA have specializations in various fields. Studying in USA not only gives you a thorough knowledge of the subjects, but also teaches you to have a practical and professional approach. It gives better growth prospects worldwide.

USA is known for its latest technologies and advancement in technical fields which gives the student a very good chance to make his/her future in these fields. USA has always been a hub of inventions. Students therefore have firsthand knowledge about cutting edge technologies coupled with excellent research opportunities. USA education is the best investment for the future. A wide spectrum of tuition fees, accommodation options and financial help from the USA institutions in the form of scholarships, fee waivers, aids, etc makes USA education affordable!

Admission to USA universities and colleges can be very competitive. Organizing and planning are the two vital aspects as timely completion of all the necessary steps is the key. Getting an admission in USA is not all; the Visa comes as the greatest test in USA.

Planning well in advance is the key to successful admission in USA. We are one stop destination to all your foreign needs. We give complete step by step guidance for preparing our students for standardized exams, university selection and from admission process till you reach your destination!

If you are a professional in human resources, counseling, social work, market research, advertising, sales or any job fields which need a lot of interaction with people and you need to enhance your psychology background in order to do a better job or enhance your job professionalism, a degree in psychology definitely can help you to achieve your goal.

But, you may not want to on hold your current job in order to go back to college or university to earn your psychology degree. Then, you need to look for online psychology degree. The advantages of acquiring an online psychology degree is that you can acquire a degree in psychology without attending a regular class, you need not leave your job to enhance your knowledge in the field of psychology. You can even specialize in any field in psychology.

Advantages of Having a Degree in Psychology

Success in many jobs depends largely upon you, the worker, being successful in understanding, relating to, and working with, people. Thus, a psychology degree will enable you to start out with an above-average interest in people. After all, the understanding of human behavior has been one of the major goals of psychology for a long time. As a psychology degree holder you know something about people and you know how to interact with them. These are characteristics that employers value.

Online Psychology Degree Programs

As the online degree programs increase in popularity, there are many prestigious colleges and universities offer online psychology programs taught by the same faculty who teach in their classrooms. And psychology degree offers through online range from Bachelor to MBAs and Ph.Ds. Like the transitional degree, earning a degree online also has pre-requirement and it varies from one online university to another. For example, you can acquire a master’s degree or doctorate online in psychology if you have a high school diploma or GED with age of 22 years or above and have worked in the field as a full time employee. In general, good in written communication skills are needed as online degree program need to do a lot of reading and writing.

Earn Your Psychology Degree Online

Since the introduction of online degree programs, the working or busy people can earn their degree online without the need to stop the current job or work. Various online degrees in psychology will help you to enhance your socialization into the field of psychology through foundational courses and interaction with faculty who are expert professionals in their field. There are many majors in online psychology which you can choose from, you can specialize in fields like clinical psychology, counseling psychology, general psychology, health psychology, organizational psychology or school psychology.

Summary

The online degree in psychology offers the flexibility to deepen your knowledge in psychology without the need to sacrifice you current work or life style.

An accredited college implies that the concerned college is recognized by the official, state and other educational authorities for being an institution that provides high quality education. This is very important as if the college is not accredited, the degree will not hold merit value in job placements, as well as for further studies.

Use of up-dated syllabus

Colleges whose vision is to instill a deep sense of foundation learning will ensure that their syllabus is up-to-date with the latest trends. With the speed at which new developments are occurring in every field, it’s important that colleges keep up and revise the syllabus of their program regularly. This will work wonders for the students in the long run, and reduce the cost and effort of firms in training them.

College Location

This important factor requires you to do some soul searching on your own, and decide if you want pick a college that is close to your own home, or you are comfortable re-locating to another place for the purpose of your education. We assert that you take a balanced call and if a good program allows for accommodation and stay, it’s a worthy investment.

Student – Professor Ratio

This refers to average class size a professor would take when delivering lectures. Some colleges have larger classes, where the Professor will not be able to give personal attention to each student thus leading to a dilution of study. Opting for college where is student – professor ratio is optimal allows you to interact with the professor well and learn efficiently.

Check the scholarship provisioning of the college

Students have to think about the over-all cost overheads before joining any institute. Pursuing a program from a reputed institute can sometimes be expensive, in such cases students must check for scholarship provisioning by the institute. Some Universities offer Scholarships as high up to 5 crore for the eligible students.

Transfer rate of Students: Transfer rate of students refers to the rate of percentage of incoming students who want to leave; if it is very high, it implies that students are not happy with college.

Safety: An important criterion that at times gets overlooked is ‘Safety’. Students must check if the college has adequate measures to ensure the safety inside its campus. If you are taking full time accommodation in the college, you must ensure that there are necessary alarms to prevent intruders out of the dorms at night. Also, if it’s a vast campus do check if the college has a patrolling security service so that you feel self-assured when studying at college.

Internship and Placement

Checking out where prior students of the college have got their internship done, as well as the recruiters who picked the students will give you an idea of the overall quality of students graduating from the institute. Some colleges have comprehensive programs of study which allow them to get good placements.

Learning another language is a complex task and to help there is a wide range of software available at vastly varied prices and with different aims. This article is not about recommending a specific make of language software, not because I dont have opinions on the matter but rather I believe that people learn in distinct styles. It follows from this that the same software is not suitable for everyone. Instead, this article is considers what you should look for when you are in the market to buy language software, which in fact is more about you than the software.

Start with yourself

The starting point is not with the software but with yourself. You need to establish your goals. Of course you want to learn a language but to what level and how much time do you have to devote to it ? Regardless of whether or not you intend to use a computer as your primary learning method , you still need to set aside enough time. There is no point in buying an expensive language course if realistically you can not fit the time in to use it to the full potential.

What are you going to use the software for ?

The obvious answer is to learn a language, but learning a language is best approached from different angles and so a software package on its own will generally not be sufficient for any but the most simple of purposes. If the software is going to be your primary learning method, then it needs to be sufficiently comprehensive to meet your learning goals. Remember that no piece of software will bring fluency or allow you to talk like a native. Language software is a very useful way of acquiring vocabulary and testing yourself on what you know, but you can not converse with it. The question to ask is whether you intend to use the software on its own or in conjunction with other products or language courses.

What should the software do ?

It should encourage you to use it. As Ive already written, different people learn in different ways and so the same software will not necessarily appeal to everyone. Try the software and (a lot of language software has a free internet demo) and check it suits you. If you dont enjoy using the software then no matter how comprehensive and sophisticated it may be, it is worthless to you.

The features you need will depend on your goals, and no-one apart than yourself can tell you where your learning emphasis should be. Do you just want to learn a few words ? Is spelling important to you ? Do you want to spend time on your pronunciation ? If possible download the software from the internet and check it does what is necessary for you.

What should the software cover ?

There is a lot of language learning software on the market designed for all levels of ability, and with prices to match. Ensure that the software matches your goals and intended use.

For example, Linguata language learning software is designed for the learner who doesnt want to learn a language fully, but wants to learn selected words and phrases before travelling. This suits me as I like travelling but I dont have the time or aptitude to learn too much of any particular foreign language, and my goal is usually to learn a few hundred words whenever I visit a new country. If you are at an intermediate level or want a more structured approach then this wouldnt suit you. I also tend to use language learning software as a secondary learning method. In other words, when I am learning a language I will use a structured course away from it and use the computer as an aid to learn words and practice pronunciation.

Different software for different people

This article started considering language software but the focus quickly moved onto the user. You. Only you know your aims and so only you can match these with the appropriate software. It would be easier to say buy Xs language software, and many people prefer this type of recommendation, but in reality there is no best that suits all learning styles. Remember to consider your goals, time available and how you intend to use the software before making a purchase.

A graduation, whether it be from high school or from college, is a momentous occasion in a person’s life and graduation quotes are a wonderful way to reflect on how special graduation day really is. These 14 graduation quotes do a great job of capturing what every graduate should understand and remember on this memorable day.

1. “There is a good reason they call these ceremonies commencement exercises. Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning.” ~ Orrin Hatch

2. “You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.” ~ Tom Brokaw

3. “The things taught in schools and colleges are not an education, but the means of education.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

4. “A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that ‘individuality’ is the key to success.” ~ Robert Orben

5. “At commencement you wear your square-shaped mortarboards. My hope is that from time to time you will let your minds be bold, and wear sombreros.” ~ Paul Freund

6. “During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. “Absolutely,” the professor said. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello. “I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.” ~ Joann C. Jones

7. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” ~ Aristotle

8. “Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant.” ~ Epictetus

9. “The supreme end of education is expert discernment in all things — the power to tell the good from the bad, the genuine from the counterfeit, and to prefer the good and the genuine to the bad and the counterfeit.” ~ Samuel Johnson

11. “Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate. Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you’ll make a difference.” ~ Arie Pencovici

12. “The advantage of a classical education is that it enables you to despise the wealth that it prevents you from achieving.” ~ Russell Green

Long and short, funny and emotional — some of the most inspiring and thought-provoking words have been spoken at graduations. These graduation quotes remind us that being educated means more than learning what was in the textbooks and that, even after graduation, one’s education really never ends.

There has always been a lot of debate as to whether an online college education is as good as a traditional college education. The answer to this is quite simple; there are good institutions that offer an online college education and there are bad establishments that offer an online college education. So, you need to do your research in the same way when you are looking for the best place to pursue your online college education with as you would an offline course.

Of course you are not going to particularly bother finding out about the location of the colleges that offer an online college education because it really doesnt matter. However, a lot of the other points that you would consider before attending a college should also be taken into consideration before you enrol with an organization offering an online college education.

The growth in the numbers of people pursuing an online college education has led to increased competition amongst institutions to attract students. The best way to assess the credibility of a site advertising the best online college education is to ask about the accreditation of its courses. Accreditation means that a governing body for a particular field has endorsed the course and this is extremely important in helping you to decide who to trust with your online college education. If a course is not accredited then you need to find out why.

There may be a number of courses that have not yet received accreditation from an appropriate association or governing body but still offer a good online college education. For example, the establishment may have applied for accreditation but not yet been assessed, in which case you can actually check with the particular body that they are in the process of assessing the application for accreditation. Another reason may be that there is no appropriate body that the course can be accredited to. This is less likely but is, nevertheless, a valid reason and does not indicate that the course offered is not going to be worth taking to advance your online college education.

If, however, you find that the online college education institution has been refused accreditation they are likely to try to tell you that accreditation is not important. This is quite simply untrue. An online college education from a non-accredited institution is not going to be viewed as highly as one from an establishment that is accredited. Choose where you gain your online college education from with care to ensure that you are not wasting your time and money by having an almost worthless qualification.

Learning English isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. (Learning the difference between “sprint” and “marathon” can be your task of the day!) Studying English is difficult and fluency does not happen overnight. You must work hard at learning English, or any other language, in order to improve and reach your goals. The most important thing you can do is follow a plan, set yourself targets, and reward yourself when you meet these targets. You should have patience and be prepared for some setbacks along the way. Here are a few more tips for success with the English language.

1. Be Realistic

Learning a language is a slow and gradual process. You shouldn’t expect to be fluent overnight. Be prepared to spend some time studying the language and you won’t be disappointed if you have to spend lots of time on one topic or another.

2. Have a Plan

Work out your objectives and reasons for learning the language and set yourself targets concerning what you want to learn and why you want to learn it. For example, if you want to learn English for travel then you should focus on conversational English and leave workplace English for a later date.

3. Establish a Learning Habit

Try to practice English or learn something every day. When you study every day you are more likely to keep the English in your head. Make it a habit to practice English – try setting the same time each day for English study. You don’t have to study for hours – 10 minutes every day is better than two hours once a week.

4. Keep the Process Interesting

Vary your studies so you spend one day concentrating on grammar, then another on listening, etc. This will help you find links between the different areas and it also stops you from getting bored.

5. Benefit from Intensive Learning

All the books in the world won’t be as effective as speaking English intensively with native speakers, or actually studying the language in England.

6. Find Friends

Whether you are attending a summer school or spending the summer at home, find friends you can chat to in English. Make a rule that you are only able to speak in English during the times you get together. Use a penalty system for every person that breaks this rule.

7. Study What Interests You

Find materials on the Internet or the TV that interest you so you are more likely to pay attention and enjoy studying. For example, watch a TV series in English or read articles about travel in English online.

8. Practice, Practice, Practice

Possibly the best advice for learning English is never to “switch off” your English – keep practicing as often as you can. Read, write, and speak English. Write emails in English to friends. Practice saying phrases out loud in English – every little helps.

As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace and communication tools become available to more people, the world is quickly transforming into a global village.We are all connected in one way or another – through business, travel and the Internet. Thats why today it is more important than ever to learn a second language. Having the ability to communicate in a second language will allow you to conduct business more efficiently, have more fun while traveling, and make it easy to forge friendships the world over, even if its just through the Internet.

So whats the easiest and most effective way to learn a second language? If you are strapped for time and require flexibility when it comes to learning a new language, taking classes through an online educational institution is your best bet. Luckily, online learning has made major strides recently, so there are a multitude of schools, courses, teachers and resources from which to choose. And because technology has improved, online education is now just as valuable an experience as learning through traditional means.

For example, if you have a high speed Internet connection, you can easily listen to audio files and watch videos that will help you hear the language you are trying to learn without having to purchase audiotapes. If you work one- on-one with an online tutor or attend an online class, often the teacher will use a microphone to speak to his/her online pupils.

Other tools also make the learning process very simple. Programs such as online whiteboards allow the teacher to write out sentences or grammar rules in real time, as if you are sitting in a classroom taking notes as the teacher scribbles on the chalkboard. Of course, scheduled chat sessions also provide an excellent way for online tutors to conduct lessons, discuss items of interest with students, and even practice writing in the new language.

When you learn a second language online, everything you need to become adept at speaking, writing, and reading the new language is right at your fingertips. Lessons, schedules, and assignments are usually posted on the course website for you to peruse at your convenience, and you can even take tests online. Assignments are easily submitted either through a virtual drop box or via email. Many schools also have online forums where fellow students can discuss homework assignments, lessons and anything else associated with the language course. Being able to contact other students, as well as the teacher, through email and by posting on forums, makes it very easy to solve problems before they become overwhelming.

Overall, the benefits of learning a second language online are substantial. Many reputable educational establishments offer online language courses that are affordable without compromising the quality of the learning experience. Whether you are a busy professional, a stay-at-home mom, a working student, a mature learner or just looking to brush up on your language skills before departing for that long-awaited trip around the world, learning a second language online is an experience you should not pass up.